Milo seeds (round, reddish brown sorghum) are often used as filler in bargain mixtures and should be avoided as these seeds quickly germinate when dropped on the ground or low tray feeders and can quickly become breeding grounds for bacteria and fungus.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Preference Tests have revealed that various bird species, such as doves, juncos and sparrows prefer black oil sunflower over milo seeds for feeding purposes. Be wary of any seed blend you purchase! Check its ingredients.
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Milo
As soon as you step foot into a bird feed section at your local hardware store, there’s an array of choices for you to peruse. Each bag promises to attract specific species of wild birds into your backyard – however not all products offer equal results.
Milo, created in Australia by Thomas Mayne in 1934, is a chocolate malted drink most widely consumed across Australia and other parts of Asia, Africa and South America. Sold as powder in green cans with images depicting various sports activities on its label, Milo enjoys great popularity across these regions.
For optimal wild bird feeding results, avoid seed mixes containing red milo. Most songbirds will pass it by or use it to spread weed seeds in your lawn if put out at a feeder. Instead, experiment with mixing black oil sunflower seed, white proso millet and cracked corn into your own blend to see which local birds enjoy it the most.
Peanuts
Milo (Sorghum bicolor) is an inexpensive grain typically used as filler in low-priced bird seed blends sold at stores that do not specialize in wild birds. Unfortunately, its reputation often comes after being consumed by ground feeders like grackles, blackbirds and blue jays.
Jays, crows and magpies love feeding peanuts in the shell at feeders to their birds; chickadees and woodpeckers also take delight in eating these treats as do towhees, nuthatches and buntings.
Safflower seeds produced by the Carthamus tinctorius plant are another highly nutritious birdseed that is rapidly increasing in popularity. Their hard hull can easily be cracked by birds with strong beaks like northern cardinals, evening grosbeaks, house finches and white-crowned sparrows; other favorite diners include tufted titmice and all woodpeckers as well as blue jays, chickadees, robins and Cedar Waxwings that seldom use feeders – while nuts pieces and dried cranberries add extra boosts of protein fat and sugar so the birds keep coming back for more food.
Sunflower
Sunflower seeds attract many birds, such as cardinals, chickadees and nuthatches. Black-oil sunflower is generally preferred because its thinner shell makes digesting easier for birds; stripe sunflower may attract squirrels more readily; while safflower may attract pests such as blackbirds or starlings or rodents such as rats.
When selecting a seed mixture, make sure that it doesn’t contain red milo (also called sorghum). Birds tend to reject this filler seed in favor of more nutritious options and it will quickly become wet, moldy or contain bacteria under feeders – not to mention attract unwanted insects harmful to wild birds! If your feeders are failing to attract the desired species you need for breeding purposes, change up the mix or try suet as an addition – this may deter pests while encouraging birds that you want.
Millet
Milo is an inexpensive filler seed that birds usually don’t enjoy eating. It attracts house sparrows and parasitic nesters like cowbirds that prefer other nest sites, so many birders avoid feeding Milo to the birds. Furthermore, its frequent dislodging at feeders attracts rodents and gnats that require cleaning after each feedout session.
While offering discount bird feed blends is common, it is wiser to limit the amount of low-value seeds such as sunflower kernels. Instead, opt for providing black oil sunflower seeds, hulled or striped peanuts and cracked corn on low platform feeders in order to attract finches, towhees, nuthatches and jays.
If you want to incorporate millet into your backyard birdscaping design, white proso millet would be preferable over red milo (sorghum). Birds prefer eating only the prosoma from white proso millet and leaving behind most of its seeds on the ground; this helps prevent overfeeding and reduce waste. You could even offer only white millet based mixes which would work well for game birds and quail feeders.
